The J. W. Hunter and Brother General Store apparently was located at 219 East Market Street, Johnson City, Tennessee. How long the store operated is not known. The Johnson City newspaper, The Comet carried no ads for the store for the years 1886 and 1887. J. W. Hunter probably owned the store with his brother, E. E. Hunter. In February of 1887, J. W. Hunter bought a lot on Main Street from George A. Reeves and his wife. The lot was a commercial one, but it is not clear to what use Hunter put the lot. One year after Hunter bought the Main Street lot, he and eight others including E. E. Hunter, F. K. Mountcastle and J. F. Crumley organized and incorporated the Watauga Banking Company. Judging from ads placed alongside the masthead of The Comet, the bank operated from 1888 at least through June 1893. It is likely that the bank failed as a result of the Panic of 1893.

Acquisition Note:
The J. W. Hunter and Brother General Store Ledger was donated to the Sherrod Library in 1964 by Jack L. Blevins of Jonesborough, Tennessee. Subsequently, at an unknown date, the ledger was transferred to the Archives of Appalachia.